Brexit boom in British people applying for Irish passports…

Ah, Brexit, the biggest act of self-sabotage in UK history, continues to have its ripples.  The FT reports that Irish passport applications from Britain are at their highest peak ever as people look for backdoor access into the EU. From the article:

The increase comes as the UK faces a weakening economic outlook and the prospect of tax rises, while European countries tighten property market access for British investors.

British applications to the Foreign Births Register, a citizenship route for people with Irish grandparents or parents, increased 15 per cent in 2024 to 23,456, according to official data shared with the Financial Times.

This was the highest figure since digital records began in 2013, surpassing the previous peak in 2019, the year before the UK officially left the bloc.

Immigration lawyers said the UK’s poor economic outlook and the “harsh” realities of post-Brexit travel and work restrictions had led to a sharp rise in workers and pensioners seeking “backdoor access” to the EU.

“The questionable political landscape in Britain is not only causing, but accelerating the search by some to look for a Plan B,” said Reza Nezam, partner at RNL Solicitors, a law firm that advises people on FBR applications.

“We expect that the numbers are going to continue to rise as the UK economy continues to be unattractive for the younger generation and those approaching retirement see that there is the prospect of super taxes,” he added.

Lawyers suggested the surge may be linked to European countries, where Britons chose to purchase holiday or retirement homes, tightening access to non-EU buyers.

Yikes. The FT likes to kick a country when it’s down.

As many as 6 million people in the UK have an Irish grandfather or grandmother, which entitles them to claim citizenship in the Republic, so if anything, applications may increase. Does it become a problem if we get a pile of new citizens?

Brian O'Neill

Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.